We'll Have To Muddle Through Somehow
by rosekatxo
Summary: AU of The Nightmare Before Christmas (S19 E11). Jac and Jasmine finally make up after Jac's cancer scare, and spend their first Christmas together as a family.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Finally got round to posting the first part of my Christmas fic, later than planned but things have been so hectic this is the only time I've managed to get it written! It's basically an AU of last year's Christmas ep (s19 e11, The Nightmare Before Christmas) because I always felt like there was something missing after Jac walked away from Jasmine (and we deserved to see them make up and enjoy Christmas together). This is probably going to be a twoshot, so there should be another chapter going up in the next week or so! Wasn't really sure how to end this one, but the second half is already planned out so never fear.**

 **Hope you all enjoy, I think we deserve some sisterly Christmas fluff to make up for everything that's happened (Emma and Jonny will of course be making an appearance in the next part too!) Please leave a review/send me a message (tumblr is jasminesnaylor if you'd rather contact me there or have any suggestions/requests/prompts), they really do mean SO much to me and make all the hard work worthwhile!**

 **Happy early Christmas! xo**

"I'm glad you came tonight, Jac," Sacha said gently. The two were seated at a small table in the corner of Albie's, each nursing a glass of red wine, watching as their colleagues danced around the pub to an endless stream of Christmas songs.

Jac raised her eyebrows.

"I wasn't going to – you know social gatherings aren't really my scene. But after today…" she trailed off. "I know the scans came back clear, and obviously I'm relieved about that. But to be honest, I didn't want to go back to my flat and be alone tonight. Emma's staying at Jonny's, and… I don't know. It's been a hell of a day," she sighed.

"I know," Sacha agreed. "And I'm glad you chose to surround yourself with friends instead of isolating yourself. I know it doesn't come easy for you, but company does wonders for the soul." Jac rolled her eyes.

"If you weren't here I'd be losing my mind. You're the only one of these idiots that gets me."

"Ah, well I'm pleased to know my special Naylor powers come in handy," Sacha grinned, nudging Jac playfully as she chuckled. Sipping her wine, she looked him directly in the eye.

"Look, I owe you an apology for how I acted earlier. I was-"

"Lashing out because you were scared, like you always do. I get it, Jac, I know how you work. I didn't take it personally." He shot her a sympathetic glance, at which she shook her head.

"That doesn't make it right, though. You were only being supportive, and god knows I needed someone in my corner today. I'm sorry," she replied.

"Apology accepted," her best friend's eyes twinkled.

"I'm serious, Sacha. I don't know what I would've done without you today. Even though I was a complete cow, you were there for me. I can't thank you enough." Looking visibly touched, Sacha reached out to stroke her arm.

"Like I said earlier, that's what friends are for," he reminded her. "Anyway, we should be celebrating! It's Christmas, you're all clear, what more could we ask for?" Jac smiled, endlessly grateful that she'd somehow found herself someone like Sacha to rely on.

As the party ramped up a notch and her colleagues got progressively drunker, the redhead found herself dwelling on another thing that had happened that day – her argument with Jasmine. Well, technically it couldn't even be classed as such, seeing as she'd walked away from the junior doctor without saying a word, but that was beside the point. Although she tried to ignore it, she couldn't help but feel bad for the way she'd treated the girl. Her emotions had been all over the place waiting for the test results, and to be honest she hadn't listened to a word Jasmine was saying. Instead she'd sat there blankly, one phrase repeatedly swimming around her head.

 _I might have cancer._

As she'd watched Jasmine's frustration at her grow by the second, Jac had felt the sudden overwhelming urge to blurt out what was wrong. To share her secret with the one person she'd spent months trying to protect herself against. She still didn't know why, or how, that feeling had suddenly reared its head, but the words had been on the tip of her tongue, emotion swirling in her vacant eyes. But just as she was about to speak, she'd realised what a terrible mistake it would be. How terrifying the prospect of Jasmine knowing her secret was.

So she'd done the only thing she could think of – she ran.

She'd heard Jasmine shouting after her retreating back, heard the anger in her voice, but couldn't bring herself to look back, and it wasn't until she'd reached the stairwell that Jac had noticed the salty tears trickling down her cheeks.

The funny thing was, Jac mused, that if Jasmine had caught her at a better time their exchange might have gone very differently. She felt strangely touched that the younger woman had made the effort to buy Emma a Christmas present despite not having any contact with her – it was a lovely sentiment, if somewhat presumptive. After all, how would she explain it to her daughter?

But, then again, didn't Jasmine have a point? Just because the two of them didn't exactly have a normal sisterly relationship, didn't mean that Emma should suffer because of it. It was only a present, and Jac knew it would make the child happy ( _and Jasmine too,_ said a voice in the back of her mind, although she tried to ignore it).

Snapping back to reality, Jac knew what she had to do in order to start to make things right.

"I think I've left one of Emma's presents in my office so I'm going to run back and get it," she hurriedly told Sacha, shooting him an apologetic glance. "And then I think I'm going to head off. I'm on an early shift tomorrow, and we still have loads to sort out before the big day arrives."

Sacha pulled a face. "You can't leave me here with these guys! I'm far too sober to handle their dance moves right now."

"Well then, you've got a lot of catching up to do," she smirked. "Go on, enjoy yourself. You deserve it, Sacha Levy." Giving him a fond smile, she patted his shoulder as she wrapped her coat tighter around herself. "I'll see you tomorrow. Try not to be too hungover." He winked in reply.

"Now I can't promise that, Naylor," he chuckled. "Go on, get yourself home. See you in the morning."

* * *

Jac braced herself to step back out into the cold winter air as she made her way out of the lift, the silver bag containing Emma's present swinging gently in her hands. Despite it being the night before Christmas Eve, the café was almost empty, a couple of bored-looking children and exhausted parents the sole occupants.

It wasn't until she glanced across the room that her eyes fell on the solitary figure hunched in the far corner, tucked away from prying eyes. The combination of messy blonde hair and burgundy scrubs alerted Jac instantly to the fact there was only one person it could be.

She couldn't see Jasmine's face from where she was standing, but as she watched the blonde holding her head in her hands the redhead felt a sharp pang of concern, wondering what had happened to make her sister forgo the party and hide out on her own. Before Jac even realised what she was doing, her feet had begun to carry her across the room.

"Jasmine?"

At the sound of her voice, Jasmine's head snapped upright. She hurriedly brushed at the tears that had been trickling down her cheeks, but not before Jac had noticed, which made her instantly defensive.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Albie's by now?"

"I could ask you the same," she said pointedly. The younger woman did nothing but glare at her, so Jac sighed. "I was, but I came back to get something. I was just leaving when I saw you, and I thought something must be wrong…" Jac trailed off, unable to explain just why she'd felt compelled to check up on the younger woman despite them not being on speaking terms.

Jasmine scoffed.

"Oh, so _now_ you care that I'm upset? That's funny, I could've sworn you blatantly ignored me when I tried talking to you earlier. You know, I don't even know why I came to find you because I knew full well that you'd blow me off, just like you always do. But I was having such a shitty day, and I really just needed to feel close to my sister. Guess I should have listened to my head instead of my heart," she replied bitterly, shaking her head.

"Look," Jac interrupted, "I'm sorry about earlier. You caught me at a really bad time. I know that doesn't excuse how I acted, but it's the truth."

"We all have bad days, Jac," Jasmine shook her head in frustration. "But we don't all go around lashing out at other people because we can't handle it. Some of us like to actually be comforted, you know? My day was crap from start to finish, not that you'd care! I ruined Dr Mayfield's research and now he hates me and so does Dom, and I'm spending Christmas alone because everybody hates me, and my own sister doesn't want to know me-"

"I thought I had cancer."

The redhead couldn't bear to listen to Jasmine's rambling any longer, the truth spilling from her lips almost unconsciously. She felt instantly relieved at getting it off her chest, but as soon as she'd spoken the words Jac realised there was no going back. After months of doing everything to push her away, she'd just let her sister in on her biggest secret. Let her see the real Jac, not infallible, not indestructible. A real person with feelings, facing battles that she no longer had the energy to fight alone.

"W-what?"

Jasmine's mouth dropped open in shock, eyes widening in a way that would be almost comical were the subject not so serious. "Shit, Jac. I'm sorry."

The concern in her tone was evident as she spoke, all anger having melted away, and for the first time Jac realised just how much her sister cared about her, even after everything they'd been through. She wasn't sure if it was the first time Jasmine had shown it, or just the first time she'd let herself acknowledge it, but either way it felt strange – in a good way.

"Don't be," she replied, pulling out a chair and sitting down opposite Jasmine. "I got the results back a couple of hours ago and I'm all clear. Nothing to worry about, luckily."

The blonde visibly relaxed, exhaling deeply. "Oh, thank god," she breathed. "God, you scared me. I know we barely even have a relationship to speak of, but…" she paused, wondering how far she could push the subject. "Well, I've only just found you - I can't lose you now."

Automatically, Jac reached out and placed a hand over hers, shocking them both by her actions. She couldn't explain it herself – she rarely initiated physical contact with anyone, let alone somebody she'd tried so hard to push away – but in that moment she needed the comfort, the feeling of not being quite so alone, and she knew Jasmine did too.

"I'm not going anywhere, don't you worry," she quipped, trying to keep the conversation light. The corners of Jasmine's mouth quirked up as she struggled to tear her eyes away from the way their hands interlinked, trying to absorb every last detail of the moment before it was snatched away.

"What happened? I mean, why did you think you had cancer?" the blonde asked in confusion, immediately regretting it as a shadow passed over Jac's eyes. "Sorry, you don't have to tell me. I shouldn't have asked, it's none of my business," she babbled, pulling her hand away before Jac could do the same.

The redhead could see the fear in Jasmine's eyes of being shut out once more, and it was at that exact moment she realised just how badly her continued dismissal and rejection had hurt her sister. Seeing how afraid the girl was of the damage she could do sent a pang through Jac's heart – although she'd wanted to hurt Jasmine in some twisted way, to get back at her for something that truthfully wasn't even her fault, seeing the effect she'd had made her realise how awful she'd been. She had to try to make things right, even if it meant facing her own fears and confronting the truth. They couldn't carry on like this any longer. It wasn't fair on either of them.

Steeling herself, Jac closed her eyes, lowering her voice so that nobody else would hear. "No, it's fine. But not a word of this to anyone, okay?" She warned, waiting until Jasmine nodded before continuing.

"Long story short, I thought I was pregnant, but when I went for a scan it turned out there was no baby, just a load of cysts. Then I collapsed in theatre, they had to operate and managed to remove the cysts but I was told they might be cancerous. It's just been a waiting game until now."

"How long ago was this?" Jasmine questioned her sister.

"About two weeks since it all started. Which is why I've been even more of a hard-faced cow than usual lately."

"I'm sure everyone missed your usual sweetness and light," the blonde teased, trying to ease the mood. The redhead shot her a warning glare, but there was no malicious intent behind it. In fact, she looked rather amused at the younger woman's comment.

"So let me get this straight," Jasmine continued. "You've known for two weeks that you might have cancer?" Jac nodded. "And you've been going through all of this on your own?"

"Not really. I told Sacha. He's been brilliant, even though I've treated him awfully. I don't know why he puts up with it," Jac replied.

Jasmine smiled sadly. "I wish I'd have known. I could have tried to help, been there for you," she lamented, but Jac shook her head fiercely.

"No, I wouldn't have let you," she stated. "I would never have told you. Don't you get it? I never let people see me at my weakest. It terrifies me what they could do with that, how they could use it against me. I'd rather suffer alone."

"Isn't that lonely, though?"

"Loneliness is all I've ever known. I can cope with that. It's intimacy that scares me. Love, and trust."

Jac's words pained Jasmine; she spoke so bluntly, like she was resigned to the fact that she'd never have that intimacy with anyone. _But then,_ Jasmine couldn't help thinking, _why is she opening up to me now? If she doesn't want me in her life, why is she letting me in on her secret?_

"You say that, yet for some reason you're here, talking to me even though said you wanted nothing to do with me. Telling me all the things you've been keeping to yourself for fear of getting hurt. So what's changed, Jac? Why now?"

The redhead looked her sister in the eyes, the emotions she'd been trying to suppress rising to the surface as she did so.

"I don't know."

Jac sounded so uncertain of herself that it shocked Jasmine, her usual brash confidence nowhere to be seen. It was like she was seeing her for the first time, a completely different Jac to the persona she normally hid behind.

"You know, when you walked into my office earlier it was like a switch flipped inside my head. All of a sudden, I wanted nothing more than to tell you everything. You have no idea how close I came to blurting it out right there. I was looking at you and suddenly it hit me - _you're my sister_. And all I wanted was to reach out and let you in.

Maybe it's the shock of thinking I had cancer, I don't know. But something changed, and I realised that all this time I've been trying to push you away because I've been too afraid to admit that what I really want is to have a relationship with you. And that scared me half to death. Still does. But I'm tired of running and pretending everything's okay when it's not."

Jac came to an abrupt halt, the words having tumbled from her mouth before she had time to think them through.

"So here we are. You know the truth, and I have no idea what happens next."

She was already beginning to regret spilling her feelings all at once – what if Jasmine threw it back in her face, used her weaknesses against her as revenge for the way the redhead had treated her? _I wouldn't blame her,_ Jac thought. _I deserve it_. Before she could open her mouth to backtrack, however, the blonde spoke.

"Well, there's an easy way to find out," Jasmine smiled nervously. "We start afresh, and give ourselves another chance at finding a way through this. We try to figure out how to be sisters. I know it's scary, Jac, and I know there's a part of you screaming to run and protect yourself. But I also know that you need this just as much as I do."

She paused, waiting with baited breath for Jac's reaction. Jasmine knew that if the answer was no this time around, it would be one rejection too far. She couldn't go through it again – this was their last chance. Looking into her sister's eyes, Jasmine could see the conflicted emotions flitting across her face, hoping desperately that Jac would say the words she wanted to hear more than anything in the world.

"Ok," she spoke quietly, causing Jasmine's eyes to fly wide open once more. "I want this. I want us… to try and be sisters, properly this time. I'm not promising anything, but I'm willing to try. It is Christmas, after all."

Jasmine couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.

"I know it won't be easy, but neither of us have done this before, right?" she reminded Jac. "I'm sure we'll find a way to muddle through it together, we just need to try. And we can take it all at your pace, don't worry."

The two exchanged small smiles, both caught up in their own emotions. Finally, after months of turbulent feelings, they were getting somewhere. However, before they could relish the moment any longer Jac's phone began to buzz.

"It's Jonny," she rolled her eyes as she read the message. "He forgot to pick one of Emma's presents up so he wants me to go on my way home, and the shop closes in half an hour," she sighed. "I'm going to have to dash, sorry."

"It's okay," Jasmine smiled. "You get going."

"I don't want you sitting here feeling sorry for yourself all night," Jac warned as she gathered her things. "Get yourself over to Albie's. The party will be going on for hours yet, you shouldn't miss it."

"Do you know what, I think I might," the blonde nodded determinedly. As Jac moved, the silver bag she was holding came into Jasmine's view making the younger woman gasp.

"You changed your mind then?" she asked hopefully, earning a playful eyeroll from her sister.

"That's what I came back for. I realised that no matter what was going on between us, it wasn't fair on you or Emma if I didn't take it. You are her auntie, after all, and it's a lovely gesture. I really do appreciate it, and I'm sure she'll love it" Jac replied sincerely.

"Well I'm glad you did come back, or none of this would have happened," Jasmine smiled bashfully. "It's nothing much, I just wanted to get her a little something. Children deserve to know they're loved, especially at Christmas." The poignancy of the comment didn't go unnoticed by the older woman, reassuring her once more that she'd made the right decision.

After saying their goodbyes, Jasmine sat contemplating what on earth had just happened. After months of heartache and disappointment, her sister was finally letting her into her life instead of pushing her away. _Wow,_ _Christmas really is a time for miracles,_ she thought to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: so this was definitely meant to be a twoshot… then I started writing the second part and this happened. Apologies for the slight lack of Jac/Jasmine content, but these scenes felt necessary for it all to make sense (plus who doesn't love Jacha?!). It's also the longest chapter I've ever written so sorry about that!**

 **Initially, Jonny was only going to make a brief appearance in the next chapter but before I knew it this had all flowed out, and I actually really like the way I managed to write their relationship for once lol. So I hope you guys love Jac/Jonny as much as I do, and if you like the way I write them then I may be persuaded to write more of them in the New Year!**

 **Part 3 will finally see them all spending Christmas together, and I'm far too excited to write it! I'm working every day now up until Christmas, but I'm doing everything I can to try and get it uploaded by Christmas Day at the latest.**

 **Please let me know if you're enjoying this, reviews are the best Christmas present a girl could wish for!**

 **Happy early Christmas (again) xo**

 **PS. How incredible was this week's episode?! It really inspired me to keep writing this. Such a festive, emotional, feel-good ep to round off the year 3**

" _Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling…"_

Jac tried her best to tune out the hospital radio (which had been driving her insane for the past 6 hours) as she stepped through the doors to Keller. Catching Dom's eye, she smiled briefly and threw a quick "merry Christmas" in his direction. She watched in amusement as the F2 furrowed his brow in confusion, clearly shocked at her sudden goodwill, before reciprocating the gesture. _See, this is what happens when you're nice to people,_ she mused to herself. Arriving at her destination, she knocked on the staff room door which swung open to reveal her best friend, appropriately dressed in a hideous festive shirt that Jac couldn't help but laugh at.

"You look ridiculous," she snorted, looking Sacha up and down as he pretended to look affronted at the suggestion.

"And glad tidings to you too," he replied sarcastically. "Where's your festive spirit?"

"Here, actually," the redhead sighed dramatically, producing a pair of reindeer antlers from her bag. "Jonny and Emma insisted that we all have to wear something Christmassy tomorrow, I had to run out and get them before my shift. Honestly, I don't know which one of them's the bigger child."

Sacha smiled, knowing from the tone in her voice that Jac's disdain was all a front. "You know you love it really," he teased, causing her to smile ruefully. "I'm surprised you didn't get yourself a halo."

"Well, I can't be an angel all the time," she smirked.

"I was hoping to catch you, actually," Sacha changed the topic of their conversation swiftly. "I had an interesting conversation with Jasmine last night after you'd left. Am I to take it things have changed between the two of you?"

He looked at her with a mixture of confusion and hopefulness that warmed her heart slightly, and Jac knew that she had to tell him everything.

"It's a long story," she replied. "I bumped into her after I left you and we talked, and we've decided we're going to give the whole sister thing another go. Properly, this time." Sacha could see the uncertainty in her eyes, but there was also an unmistakeable hint of relief and happiness which made him swell with pride.

"Jac, that's amazing!" he exclaimed, earning himself a sharp nudge in the ribs for not even trying to keep his voice quiet. "Seriously, I'm really proud of you. I know how hard it is for you to deal with a lot of the history between you both, but I really think this is the right decision."

"Well, they do say Christmas is a time for family, don't they?" Jac replied with a bashful smile, secretly pleased with the encouragement from one of the only people who knew the truth about her. She knew that Sacha understood her reservations, but knowing that he was proud of her for making the effort meant more than she'd ever tell him.

"They do indeed," Sacha winked. "And look at you. You've come so far over the past few years, and you deserve this. As does Jasmine."

The redhead averted her eyes, unsure of how to respond – she'd never get used to people actually having faith in her and wanting to see her happy, but this was Sacha, and a tiny part of her couldn't help but believe him.

"Don't go getting all mushy on me, Levy," she joked, trying to steer the conversation away from getting too emotional. "Anyway, what did Jasmine tell you?" She wasn't annoyed that Jasmine had spoken to Sacha – they both trusted him not to go blabbing their secrets around the hospital without permission – but she was curious to hear how much he knew.

"Not much – she didn't want to upset you by telling me your private conversations," he replied. "I just noticed she looked a damn sight happier than she had done earlier, and asked her if something had happened. She said she'd spoken to you, and thought you might finally be getting somewhere. But she didn't disclose much else," he reassured her.

Jac shrugged.

"It's fine, she knows you know about… well, what happened last week, so she must know I tell you things."

"You told her about that?" Sacha raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Wow. That's a big step."

"I know," the redhead agreed. "I didn't mean to. It just sort of slipped out. But I'm glad she knows."

"Me too," Sacha smiled, patting her arm gently. "Anyway, she stayed for a couple of drinks and we got to talking about our plans for the holidays. Did you know she's spending Christmas alone?"

Jac stilled, turning towards him with an unreadable expression.

"Why would I? The only real conversation we've ever had was last night's, and I had to dash off halfway through. I hardly know anything about her."

Sacha bowed his head apologetically. "Sorry, I just wondered if she'd mentioned anything. She said she volunteered to work the night shift, so the people with families can be with their children on Christmas morning, and then she'll go home and hopefully sleep right through to Boxing Day. Sounds an awful lot like someone else I used to know," he smiled sadly.

Although Jac's heart went out to the younger woman, she understood exactly why she'd chosen to spend the day like that.

"She has a point. Better to keep busy at Christmas than remind yourself how alone you are," she recalled, a sharp edge to her voice that only appeared on the rare occasion she spoke about her past.

"Except she's not really alone, is she?"

Jac blinked. She wasn't sure what Sacha was implying, but she got the feeling he was encouraging her to include Jasmine in her own plans, and the thought of that was more daunting than she was prepared to admit.

"What are you asking me to do, Sacha?" she exclaimed, perhaps more defensively than she'd intended. "We barely know each other, we've only just made up. We're not even close. She has other people around her. Why isn't she spending it with Morven? I thought they were best friends."

Sacha glanced at his friend knowingly.

"I'm not asking you to do anything, Jac, that decision is yours and yours alone. I just thought you should know. And from what I gather, Morven has gone home to her family and Jasmine was invited, but she politely declined. I'm sure you more than anyone understand why."

 _I just don't like family Christmases. It doesn't matter how hard they try, you just don't feel like you belong._

As Sacha spoke, Jac was instantly transported back to a time when a family Christmas had seemed impossibly out of reach for her. A time before Emma. She remembered the conversation she'd had with her friend almost five years ago to the day, the unusually honest and open reason she'd given for declining his invitation, on what was to be her last proper Christmas before becoming a mother.

Her last Christmas pre-Emma, but the first Christmas she'd spent with Jonny.

To this day, that Christmas remained one of her most treasured, a memory that would always be special to her despite anything that happened between them. She thought back to how desperately alone she'd felt, how much she'd longed to feel like part of a family just for once, and how Jonny had sacrificed his own plans to comfort her and give her the best Christmas she'd ever had up until that moment.

Jac also remembered the girls she'd had to deal with that day. Two teenage sisters, relatives of an old lady who was hours from taking her last breath, spending their Christmas terrified and without their parents. Those girls had never quite left her mind – they'd had a lasting impact on her in more ways than one. She remembered the way they'd clung to each other, each staying strong for the other, and most of all she remembered the twinge of jealousy she'd felt as an onlooker, knowing she'd never have that bond with anyone.

As Jac thought about that day, the Christmas that had changed everything for her, Sacha watched the conflicting emotions pass over her face. He didn't want to force her into anything, knowing that to even try was a big mistake, but he hoped that the part of her he knew saw herself in Jasmine would eventually win out. It tore at his heart that both of them, such bright, talented women with so much love to give (even though the redhead would dispute that claim) had known such pain and loneliness. He felt almost as protective of Jasmine as he did of Jac, saw so much of the older woman in the younger, and he silently prayed that the blonde would never have to face Christmas alone again.

"I don't know," Jac said unsurely, bringing Sacha's attention back to the present. "I just don't know if I'm ready for that. I'll think about it, okay? I need more time."

"Of course," the kindly consultant assured her – the fact she was even considering it was a definite improvement. "Maybe talk to Jonny, too. He might be able to help you decide what to do for the best." The corners of Jac's mouth twitched as she nodded her agreement.

"I'll try," she replied. Looking down at her phone, she stood to leave. "Speaking of Jonny, I'd better get back before Emma drives him up the wall. She's never been so hyper before, god knows how we'll cope tomorrow."

"Ah, you're going to have such a magical Christmas with her this year!" Sacha grinned. "Now that she understands a bit more, she's going to love it. Enjoy every second, Jac," he reminded her. "These are the memories that will stay with you forever. Take lots of pictures – and don't forget to send them to me!"

"I will. I can't wait," she replied honestly. "I'm going to make sure she has the best Christmas ever."

"I know you are. And I tell you something, she's the luckiest girl in the world to have you as a mother."

Jac had to suppress the lump in her throat that had developed as Sacha spoke. Moving closer to him, she wrapped her arms around his cuddly frame and in a rare moment of acquiescence allowed him to hug her in return, turning her head to plant a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Sacha."

* * *

"You okay?"

Jac started at the sound of Jonny's voice. Upon getting home, she'd spent the afternoon baking with Emma - who was currently occupied by some Christmas cartoon in the living room while they waited for their cookies to cool down – whilst Jonny had snuck upstairs to finish wrapping the last of their daughter's presents. She'd been so distracted, however, that she hadn't even heard him come downstairs, having spent the past ten minutes staring absently at the wall.

"Yeah," she brushed off his concern, moving across to the table in order to check on the cookies and appear busy. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

Jac sighed. If there was one thing she knew about Jonny, it was that when he latched onto something he just wouldn't drop it. _It'll be easier if I just tell him now,_ she reasoned with herself. _He'll wear me down eventually anyway._

"Family. Christmas. Jasmine. All of it," she admitted as he moved closer. She watched as he prevented himself from reaching out and pulling her into his arms, knowing his actions wouldn't be welcome just yet, but still wanting to be within arm's reach. The gesture made the corners of her mouth twitch despite herself.

"Jasmine? What about her? I thought you two didn't have anything to do with each other," Jonny asked confusedly. Although he tried his hardest to keep up with the turbulent private life of Jac Naylor, he was no stranger to her secretiveness, but he was surprised (and slightly affronted) that she'd managed to keep something this big from him.

"Don't be like that," she rolled her eyes. "I haven't kept anything from you on purpose. It only happened last night, I haven't had time to tell you until now."

"Okay, okay," Jonny held up his hands in mock surrender. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, in a gentler tone this time. "Whatever's bothering you, I mean."

The redhead fell silent for a few moments, hands absently picking at a loose thread on her shirt as she attempted to make sense of the jumbled thoughts swimming around her head. The Scot waited patiently despite this, knowing that if he stood any chance of getting Jac to open up he'd have to let her come to him. Pushing her would only push her further away, he knew from bitter experience.

After a few moments, she began speaking quietly, causing him to strain to hear her. He wasn't sure if it was because she didn't want Emma to overhear them, or because she was admitting to being afraid – _probably a combination of the two,_ he mused.

"I saw her yesterday at work. She was really upset, and I went over there, and somehow we ended up talking. I told her everything – the cancer scare, the baby scare, all of it. We were both honest with each other, and we decided to try again and see if we can make some kind of relationship work." She paused for breath, but Jonny knew there was still more to come and so remained silent, sliding his hand gently across her back as a means of reassurance. Relaxing slightly into his touch, Jac continued.

"She was with Sacha in Albie's last night, and when I went to wish him a merry Christmas he told me that Jasmine's spending Christmas alone. He said that the way she spoke about it, that it reminded him of me- the person I was before you came along. He basically suggested that I should ask her to spend Christmas with us so she has some company. And immediately my mind started screaming no, but it's all I've been thinking about ever since," she confessed. Taking his chances, Jonny pulled her into an embrace, seeing the insecurity written across her face and knowing she needed reassurance.

"Well, what do you want to do? It's your Christmas too," Jonny asked soothingly. Turning her face into his chest to avoid looking him in the eyes, Jac thought for a second.

"Part of me thinks it's far too soon. We hardly know each other, we've only just decided to try and build a relationship and I'm worried that this would be jumping in too fast. I'm scared of letting her into the one part of my life that's mine and mine alone. Work is one thing, but here she'd be in my private space, the one place where I don't have to worry about how other people see me." Jonny nodded in understanding, not wanting to contribute to the conversation until she was finished. "And that's not to mention Emma. What would we tell her? How's she ever going to understand this whole mess? I want her to have the kind of Christmas I never had, and I don't want anything to ruin it."

"But Jasmine said something to me yesterday that really struck a chord. She said that she'd always envied me around Christmas time, because at least in care there'd be people around. How sick is that? How awful must her time with that woman have been if she'd rather have been like me?"

Jonny tightened his grasp slightly, knowing how much talking about Paula upset Jac even now.

"I don't think she's ever had a proper Christmas, Jonny. I think she's always been lonely, just like I was until you came along. And the thought of her feeling the way I felt is unbearable. I don't think I can live with myself knowing she's alone when we're right here. She's family, and as much as I've tried to deny it, I can't ignore it any more. She deserves to feel like she belongs somewhere for once."

At this, Jac manouvered herself so she was facing him, eyes glistening as she stared into his. "I don't know which part of myself to listen to, Jonny. I don't know what to do," she pleaded. Jonny shook his head gently.

"I think you know deep down what you want to do, sweetheart. You're just scared to admit it."

He looked into her eyes searchingly, and was rewarded after an age by an almost imperceptible nod.

"I do," she whispered, letting out a deep breath as he stroked her hair calmingly. "But what about Emma? How are we going to explain it to her?"

"We'll think of something," he reassured.

"And what if she doesn't want to come, if she thinks it's too much. What if she pushes me away?" she sounded unusually on edge, her lack of self-belief painful to Jonny who spent so much of his time trying to convince her of her worth.

"Well then at least you'll know where you stand. But honestly, Jac, I really don't think that'll be the case. You know how desperately she's wanted to get to know you for years." The redhead squeezed her eyes tightly shut, nodding before opening them and steeling herself.

"I'll go ring her now," she suggested. "Get it over and done with." Jonny nodded.

"Good idea. But not before I tell you how proud I am of you for doing this." He kissed her forehead gently, causing a slight blush to rise in her cheeks, before releasing her from his grasp and propelling her towards her phone. "Now, go talk to your sister."

* * *

Jac paced the kitchen as she waited for Jasmine to pick up the phone, head spinning as she tried to formulate a plan for what she was about to ask. Just as she was going over her lines in her head, a loud voice made her jump.

"Hello?" It took a second for Jac to remember that there was no way her sister would have her number saved, hence the confusion in her voice.

"Jasmine? It's Jac," she replied.

"Oh, hi!" She could practically hear the younger woman beaming down the phone, a thought that made her smile in spite of herself. "Is everything ok?" _She probably thinks something's wrong, or that I'm ringing about work,_ Jac realised.

"Everything's fine," she reassured her sister. "Are you at work?"

"No, I don't start until 10," Jasmine babbled. "I'm on the night shift. Thought it was only fair, seeing as I have no one to get home to and everyone else has families and kids of their own." Her tone was fairly even, but Jac noticed the slight tinge of sadness as she spoke, reinforcing her belief that she was doing the right thing.

"I used to always do that before I had Emma," she offered. "But now I wouldn't miss Christmas Day with her for the world."

"Of course not!" she heard Jasmine exclaim. "It must be so special, having your own little family to spend Christmas with. I hope I can have that someday."

Sensing the perfect opportunity, Jac took a deep breath and reminded herself to breathe. _It's just Jasmine. It'll be fine. Nothing to freak out over._

"Actually," she began tentatively, "that's kind of why I was calling."

"Oh?" The younger woman sounded utterly confused at this point. "About work?"

"No," Jac rolled her eyes although of course Jasmine couldn't see her. "Not about work. About Christmas."

There was a beat of silence.

"What about it?"

She could tell instantly that Jasmine at least had an inkling about what she was going to ask, the quiver in her voice a telltale sign of nerves. It seemed she was intent on making Jac say the words, though, not content to draw her own conclusions – maybe she was scared she'd got it wrong, that the older woman was taunting her, laughing at her? _It wouldn't be the first time_.

"I was wondering… if you'd like to come to ours for Christmas dinner tomorrow." Jac almost stumbled over her words, nerves winning out as she tried desperately to sound calm, to no avail.

For a moment not a sound could be heard, and she began to panic. She must have overstepped the mark, she'd known it was too soon and this was exactly what she'd been dreading – rejection, after everything it had taken for her to get to this point.

"Look, I'm sorry, forget I said anything," she quickly backtracked, wanting the ground to swallow her up. "We're only just getting back on track, and you'll be exhausted after work anyway, and I totally understand why you wouldn't want to-"

"Jac," Jasmine interrupted. "Don't be stupid. That's not… that's not why I didn't answer straight away. I'm just a bit speechless right now," she replied, emotion evident in her tone.

"Oh."

Maybe she'd got a little bit carried away with her negativity, then. After all, she'd just dropped one hell of a bombshell on Jasmine – she had to give the girl some time to get her head around it.

"I just… Are you really sure about this, Jac? I don't want to intrude on your family Christmas, I know how much it means to you. I don't want to ruin it."

Jac sighed.

"Of course I'm sure. You don't think I haven't spent the entire day wondering whether this is the right thing to do? You won't be intruding, I promise. We have a very low-key Christmas, neither Jonny or I ever celebrated properly growing up so it won't be too overwhelming." She softened her tone slightly. "I want you to be part of this family, Jasmine. I can't stand the thought of you being on your own. I've been there and it's awful, nobody should ever feel like that but especially not at Christmas. Especially not family."

"What will Jonny say? And Emma?" the blonde asked timidly.

"Jonny already knows, I talked it over with him and he's more than happy for you to come. Emma… we'll have to figure out a way of explaining it all to her, but I'm sure she'll be thrilled to have someone else to play with," Jac tried to encourage her sister to accept the offer, knowing that the prospect of seeing her niece would make her happy. She could almost hear Jasmine's brain whirring through the phone, weighing up her options.

"My shift doesn't finish until 10am, though" she worried.

"That's fine," Jac replied. "We usually do dinner mid-afternoon, anyway. And that gives you time to catch up on some sleep after your shift."

"Well…" Jasmine chewed over her decision, "if you're absolutely sure, then I'd love to. Of course I'd love to spend Christmas with you."

Jac breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't realised just how much she wanted this until that very moment.

"That's settled then. You'll come round about half 2, we'll eat and you can spend some time with Emma before she goes to bed."

"Jac…" Jasmine spoke, gratitude evident in her voice. "You have no idea what this means. Thank you so much." The older woman chuckled. Little did Jasmine know, she felt the exact same way.

"Believe me, I do," she replied. "Look, I better go, I need to get Emma fed and bathed soon. I hope your shift goes well. Text me when you're on your way."

"Ok," Jasmine agreed. "I will. And thanks again, for everything. See you tomorrow."

Ending the call, Jac leant heavily against the worktops, heart pounding. Part of her couldn't believe what she'd just done, but she couldn't deny that she felt happier than she had in weeks.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind.

"So how did it go?" Jonny's lilting tones comforted Jac as she began to relax.

"She's coming," she replied, a small smile lighting up her face.

"See, I told you it would all be fine." She playfully slapped Jonny, his smugness at being right both irritating and amusing her.

"Mummy!" The two pulled away from each other as Emma hurtled into the room, her eager grin causing Jac's own to widen.

"It almost Christmas, Mummy! We finish cookies now?"

The redhead lifted her daughter up, placing her on the counter beside her. "Of course we can, baby. But then you have to go to bed early tonight, or else Father Christmas won't come," she teased the little girl.

"Okay Mummy, I be good girl," Emma nodded, eyes wide. "We have special story?"

"If you're extra good then Mummy and Daddy will read you The Night Before Christmas, but only if you promise to go to sleep without a fuss. Do we have a deal?"

"Yessssss!" Emma yelled, showing off her baby teeth as Jac and Jonny exchanged glances over her head. Tomorrow was going to be a big day for all of them, even if Emma didn't know it yet, and they were determined to make it the best Christmas yet.


	3. Chapter 3

A **/N: Here we go, the third and final instalment! Was hoping to get this up a bit earlier, but the past week has been crazy busy. Buuuuuut I managed to get it up in time for Christmas Day so it's all good! (I haven't managed to redraft the ending as much as usual so I hope it's okay)**

 **Thank you for the reviews/comments, I'm so glad you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've loved writing it. I will be back to updating Protection regularly (ish) in 2018 for anyone who follows that, as always feel free to send suggestions/ideas!**

 **Merry Christmas! I hope you all have the most amazing day. Lots of love and Christmas wishes!**

 **Katie xo**

Jasmine blinked sleepily, brushing a hand through her tangled mane as she reached across to check the time on her alarm. _12:43,_ it blinked back at her. Sighing, she tipped her head back onto her pillow. She'd been home from work for just over two hours, falling into bed fully clothed she was that exhausted, and yet somehow she'd managed less than an hour of broken sleep. She couldn't pinpoint the exact reason for her current insomnia – a combination of the adrenaline from the night shift not having worn off, over-exhaustion, and the conflicting nerves and excitement about the day ahead were probably to blame, she reasoned.

In her twenty-odd years of existence, Jasmine had never looked forward to Christmas. It had always been a stark reminder of how lonely she was, how little her mother cared – on the rare occasion she'd actually celebrated Christmas, it had just been her and her granddad. He'd always tried to make the day special for her, but those Christmases were few and far between, and if she was honest she could barely remember them. The ones she did remember were a solitary affair, Paula having gone out with her friends or newest conquests leaving Jasmine alone in a foreign country, feeling out of place and extremely sorry for herself. On the rare occasion that her mother was going through a clean patch, she might have gotten a second-hand book or piece of jewellery, but never anything to call her own – never a real Christmas present.

Of course, they'd never really stayed anywhere long enough for little Jasmine to make real friendships, or indeed to experience a proper Christmas. One might think that living in so many different places with different cultures would mean you'd experience all sorts of worldwide traditions, but that wasn't the case for Jasmine. Her mother wasn't bothered about any of that, she didn't care whether Jasmine learnt anything about the world around her and didn't provide her with the chance to do so. It saddened her that she'd never have any childhood traditions to pass on to her own children eventually, but it was something she'd long since gotten used to.

The idea of a warm, homely, family Christmas with people who cared about her was an alien concept. One that she'd be experiencing for the first time that very day, with the sister she'd spent the best part of her life dreaming about. She knew now, of course, that the visions she'd had as a child of Jac's life – much better than her own – weren't at all accurate, that the older woman had suffered just like herself. Neither of them had had a happy childhood, but at least Jac now had a family to celebrate with, and traditions of her own to make. Jasmine only hoped she'd fit in with them. _Well, today's your chance,_ she reminded herself. _Don't mess it up._

Realising she'd been staring at the ceiling lost in her thoughts for a while now, Jasmine knew she was fighting a losing battle in trying to force herself back to sleep. The anticipation of her afternoon at Jac's was proving too much, and there was no point staying in bed for another hour or so and wasting part of her day – not when she could be spending more time with her sister and niece.

Stretching clumsily, she grabbed her phone from the bedside table and began scrolling through her notifications, smiling as she spotted a number of messages from her friends. There was a very overexcited message from Morven, who apparently turned into a child herself at Christmas when surrounded by her siblings, and a sweet message from Sacha who seemed to have taken her under his wing much more recently, probably due to her situation with Jac. As she reached the end of the messages, she noticed one in particular that made her heart skip despite its simple wording.

 _Merry Christmas. See you soon. Jac x_

Smiling to herself, she quickly tapped a reply back. It was reassuring to know that Jac hadn't taken back her invitation (in the back of her mind she'd still been convinced it was all an elaborate plan to mock her), and that she'd made the effort to message first.

 _Merry Christmas! Hope Emma is having a good morning. Can't sleep so might be over a bit earlier than planned if that's ok? X_

Dragging herself out of bed, Jasmine headed to the bathroom to freshen up. On her return, she saw her lockscreen light up once more as her sister replied.

 _Come whenever you want. We'll be in. X_

Jasmine decided she might as well get ready and go rather than stay in her flat alone, flicking through her Spotify before settling on a festive playlist to get her in the mood. She wasn't sure what the dress code was meant to be, but somehow she couldn't see Jac spending Christmas in her pyjamas so she wanted to make an effort. Plus, this would be her first time meeting Jonny and Emma, and she had to make a good first impression. Rifling through her wardrobe, she pulled out a couple of jumpers including a fluffy cream one adorned with a penguin which she'd bought on sale the previous year. Up until now she'd never had the opportunity to wear it, but it felt appropriately festive whilst not too dressy for a Christmas meal – and she was sure her niece would appreciate the cute picture, if nothing else. She needed to stick some make up on too, knowing that Jac would look perfect as ever and refusing to look like a zombie next to her.

Jasmine couldn't resist dancing around her room as the opening riffs to Girls Aloud's _Not Tonight Santa_ began to play, twirling and singing at the top of her lungs as she attempted to flatten her hair. She felt like a child again – in fact, more like a child than she had done for most of her childhood – as the excitement built up, the realisation that she was about to experience her first proper Christmas hitting her all at once.

 _This is going to be the best Christmas ever._

* * *

As Jasmine approached her sister's home (that is, if Jac's instructions and her Google maps had got her there successfully), she couldn't help but marvel at what a lovely neighbourhood she lived in. She knew Jac's consultant salary meant she could afford to live in the best area of the city, but it still made her smile to think of Emma growing up in such a picturesque and relatively luxurious house. It was a far cry from both women's childhood homes – using the word loosely, as neither would say that they felt like they had a safe haven – the kind of place Jasmine had always dreamed of living in one day. With the Christmas lights strung around the outside, it looked like a scene straight out of a movie, and the blonde felt a surge of pride for her sister knowing just how much she'd had to fight to make this a reality.

After giving herself one last pep talk – _breathe, everything will be fine, this is your chance_ – Jasmine knocked on the front door, almost spiking herself on the beautiful wreath hung there. Within a few seconds she could hear movement inside, and as the door swung open she couldn't help the involuntary giggle that slipped out of her mouth.

"Am I hallucinating or did Jac Naylor, ice queen extraordinaire, just answer the door wearing a pair of reindeer antlers?" she teased.

The redhead smirked.

"This? No, it's just everyday attire for me," she replied sarcastically. "Anyway, I wouldn't be too amused if I were you. You haven't seen what _you've_ got to wear yet."

Jasmine chuckled as Jac gestured for her to go in, closing the door behind them to keep out the cold winter air.

"Emma's handiwork, by any chance?" the blonde asked as she kicked off her Converse, attempting to shimmy out of her coat simultaneously and almost hitting Jac in the chest. The older woman shot her a disparaging glance, moving to the side to avoid her sister's flailing limbs.

"Yep, she hasn't let me take them off since 6am. How was work? Do you need coffee?"

Jasmine's eyes lit up at the mention of caffeine – she hadn't had time to make herself a cup before leaving the flat, and she was in desperate need of a hit.

"That would be amazing," she sighed, following Jac through the hallway. "It wasn't too bad – a couple of drunken injuries but nothing too major."

"Good," Jac replied, popping her head into the kitchen where Jonny was stood with his back to them, prepping dinner. "Jonny, stick the kettle on will you?"

The man in question turned around in mock-salute. "Yes, your highness," he said sarcastically. "Anything for you." Winking, he turned to Jasmine who was standing nervously beside her sister, offering her a welcoming smile.

"Hi, Jasmine. It's so nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you." His easy-going demeanour and lilting voice instantly helped to put the younger woman at ease, and she flashed him a smile in return.

"Hey," she replied. "I've heard a lot about you too, I'm glad I'm finally getting to put a face to the name! Thank you again for letting me gatecrash your Christmas, I'm sorry it's all so last minute."

The Scot shook his head, half-amused and half-exasperated. He could already see the similarities between the two women, Jasmine's insecurities and lack of self-worth so like those of her sister's.

"It's not a problem, honestly," he reassured her. "We're more than happy to have you with us! You're family." Jonny's words meant a lot to Jasmine – she knew Jac confided in him a lot, he was probably the most important person in her life bar Emma, so the approval was a good sign.

"Well, thanks," she blushed. "Speaking of which, where is Emma? It seems pretty quiet for Christmas morning with a three-year-old."

"She's in the living room watching Peppa Pig," Jac replied. "That show is a godsend when you're trying to keep a toddler occupied. Why don't I take you through to see her? Maybe you can entertain her for a while until dinner's ready, get to know her a bit."

Jasmine felt a flutter of excitement at her sister's suggestion. Finally, after all those months of waiting and hoping desperately, she was going to meet her niece.

"I'd love to," she spoke sincerely. "Does she know who I am? I mean, how have you explained it all to her?" The last thing she wanted was to put her foot in it and make things awkward for Jac, and the situation was already complicated enough.

"We just told her the basic facts – that you're my sister and you'd be joining us for Christmas. She took it pretty well actually, just seemed to accept it. I suppose it's not a big deal when you're that age," Jac shrugged. Jonny nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, she seemed to understand what we were telling her. But if she asks you anything you don't feel comfortable with or don't know how to answer, just send her to us and we'll sort it," he smiled. Handing the two women a steaming mug of coffee each, he moved back towards the stove. "You two go and see Emma and I'll keep an eye on dinner, she'll be getting bored soon anyway."

Jac smiled appreciatively, reaching out for the briefest of moments to place her hand on his arm.

"Thanks, Jonny." She turned to Jasmine, whose eyes betrayed her excitement. "Ready?"

The younger woman took a deep breath.

"As I'll ever be."

* * *

Jasmine looked around in awe as she followed Jac into the living room. It was open plan and beautifully decorated in cream and brown, but felt warm and inviting nonetheless. There was an enormous Christmas tree towards the back of the room, twinkling merrily in the daylight, a golden angel placed carefully on top. A large pile of wrapping paper lay at the edge of the room, no doubt having been pushed aside after the frenzied unwrapping of that morning, and there were toys strewn everywhere. In the middle of it all sat a little girl with long copper hair, legs crossed as she stared at the television, not realising that she had visitors.

Jac moved into the room, placing her mug down on the coffee table as Jasmine followed suit. She motioned for the blonde to sit down as she sank back into the sofa.

"Emma?"

At the sound of her mother's voice, the little girl instantly turned around. Her eyes fell immediately on the new person in the room, and Jasmine was slightly unnerved by how alike mother and daughter really were. The scrutinizing gaze of Jac Naylor, under which she'd found herself many a time over the past few months, was reflected in her mini me.

Seeing that she had Emma's attention, Jac continued. "This is Jasmine. Remember I told you about her? She's Mummy's sister, which makes her your auntie. Are you going to come and say hello?"

Emma nodded curiously, scooting closer to the two of them. She looked up at the blonde with wide eyes, and as Jasmine looked into the eyes of her niece for the first time she fell instantly in love.

"Hello," Emma said in a soft voice, sweetly waving her hand at Jasmine.

"Hi, Emma," Jasmine replied, unable to keep the grin off her face. "It's so lovely to finally meet you" Your Mummy's told me a lot about you." Sliding off the sofa onto her knees to be on Emma's level, she smiled. "Are you having a nice Christmas?" The little girl nodded, shuffling closer to Jac. Sensing that her daughter wasn't yet sure about this new member of the family, a thought popped into Jac's head.

"Do you know what, Emma? I think Auntie Jasmine might have brought you a present!" she gasped, catching her daughter's attention. "Shall we see if we can find it under the tree?" Grabbing Emma's hand, she led her to the silver bag that she'd placed there the previous night. "Do you want to open it?" Emma nodded enthusiastically, beginning to tear open the bag.

"Mummy!" she yelled excitedly, pulling something pink and sparkly from the wrapping paper. "It fairy wings! And wand!" She passed them over to Jac, who held them up in admiration. Jasmine had bought the girl a matching set to dress up in, covered in glitter and sequins – all of Emma's favourite things.

"Wow, Emma!" the redhead exclaimed. "What a lovely present! Are you going to say thank you?" The little girl toddled over to Jasmine and wrapped her arms around her, the blonde stiffening for a second before cuddling the little girl back. "Thank you Auntie Jasmine," Emma lisped, beaming as she watched Jac try to detangle the wings.

"You're welcome, princess," Jasmine somehow managed to choke out, despite the fact she felt seconds away from crying. She'd only been here five minutes and already her niece had initiated physical contact and called her auntie – she didn't think she'd ever felt happier.

"Shall we put them on?" Jac asked, picking up on her sister's tone and distracting Emma to allow her a moment to compose herself. The wings fit her daughter perfectly, and as she twirled around, waving her wand in the air, Jac couldn't help but laugh.

"You look beautiful, baby," she smiled, pulling out her phone to take a few pictures. "Give me a twirl!" In the corner of her eye she noticed Jasmine's hand twitch as though to grab her phone too, but the girl seemingly thought better of it. Jac smiled at her in reassurance.

"You're welcome to take pictures too, you know. She is your niece, and it's your present. Just let me know if you're going to post any of them, I like to know what pictures are out there of her." Jasmine nodded gratefully,

"Thanks, Jac." She snapped a few pictures of her own, knowing that the opportunity was too good to miss. "Do you like them, Emma?"

"I love them!" the little girl cheered, spinning around in circles. "I go show Daddy?" she asked Jac sweetly.

"Go on then," she chuckled, watching as Emma danced out of the room. "Thank you for her present, she really loves it as you can see," she told Jasmine, who looked relieved.

"I'm glad she does! I wasn't sure what to get, but I figured every little girl loves fairies." The thundering of little feet could be heard, and soon enough Emma returned, this time with Jonny in tow.

"I see our wee princess is a little fairy today!" he said, twirling his daughter around and making her squeal with delight. "She looks gorgeous, Jasmine. Thank you."

"It's my pleasure," the blonde smiled.

"Emma actually has something for you, too," he continued, seeing the puzzlement flit across Jasmine's face. The little girl stepped closer to her, handing her an envelope with "Auntie Jasmine" printed on the front in neat lettering.

Jasmine opened it to reveal a handmade card from her niece, causing a lump to rise in her throat.

"It Christmas tree," Emma said proudly, pointing to the glittery blob in the centre of the page and making Jasmine's heart burst.

"Did you make this yourself?"

Emma nodded.

"Wow, it's amazing! Thank you so much, Emma." She planted a kiss on the top of her niece's head, opening the card to read the message inside. Jac's elaborate scrawl was instantly recognisable.

 _To Auntie Jasmine,_

 _Merry Christmas._

 _Lots of love, Emma x_

The child herself had printed her name at the bottom of the page, wobbly letters all lined up underneath her sister's writing. Jasmine felt a tear spill from her eyes as she read it, so overwhelmed and touched by the gesture. She felt Jac reach across and stroke her arm, looking up to see her sister looking equally emotional.

"Thank you," she whispered, eliciting a nod from Jac and a squeeze of her hand. "I'll treasure this."

"She's been working on it all morning," Jac replied. "She was so excited to give it to you."

"Bless her. It really does mean so much, Jac. Thank you for all of this."

Jac smiled before pulling herself to her feet, determined not to let emotion get the better of her already.

"Right, I better go back and help Jonny get dinner ready. Will you two be okay in here?"

Jasmine glanced over at Emma, who was now prancing around the Christmas tree with her wand aloft.

"We'll be fine," she grinned.

* * *

"Mummy?"

Emma frowned as she clambered up to the table, Jac making sure she was sitting properly before pulling out a chair opposite her. Their Christmas dinner was almost ready – Jonny had begun to dish up, and had ordered the girls out of the kitchen to do so.

"Yes, Emma?"

"Jasmine not have Christmas headband. She need one!"

Jac caught her sister's eye across the table and had to stifle a snigger at the look on her face.

"Oh, that's right," she played along, teasing the younger woman. "We can't have you being the only one without a headpiece, Jasmine. That just wouldn't be fair, would it?"

"No!" Emma shook her head defiantly.

"So," Jac continued, "take your pick." With that she thrust a bag full of festive headbands into Jasmine's arms, leaving the younger woman bemused. She began to sift through the bag, pulling out various items and scrutinising them.

"Hmmm," Jasmine pretended to be confused. "I'm not sure which I like best. What do you think, Emma?"

"This one!" Emma clapped excitedly, pointing to a pair of snowflake deelyboppers covered in glitter. Jasmine acted surprised and put them on, earning herself a squeal from her niece.

"You like Elsa now!"

The sisters exchanged a glance, but before either could react Jonny appeared, balancing their plates in his hands. The Santa hat Emma had placed on his head was threatening to slide off at any given moment, making the little girl giggle.

"Grub's up!" he said jovially, passing their plates across and sliding into a seat beside Jac. Popping open the Bucks Fizz, he poured out three glasses and handed one to each sister.

"A toast," he smiled, glancing at them all in turn. Emma had already lost interest, and was instead already tucking into her dinner. "To Christmas, and spending it with loved ones."

As they clinked glasses and said "cheers", Jasmine felt a warm feeling rise in her chest. She'd never known what it felt like to be part of a family until now, but Jac, Jonny and Emma had already made her feel more welcome than she ever had as a child.

 _This is what Christmas is meant to feel like,_ she thought happily.

* * *

"Jac," Jonny nudged the redhead gently, feeling her bodyweight shift slightly as she raised her head to look at him. The two were curled up on the sofa, Jac leaning against Jonny's side under a blanket with a glass of Bailey's in one hand. The Christmas lights twinkled in the background as they sat in comfortable silence, Frozen playing softly on the tv although neither of them had paid much attention. It was nearing 7 in the evening, and after a busy afternoon playing with Emma, watching Jasmine and her niece bond as well as getting to know the girl better themselves, they'd collapsed in the living room and treated themselves to a well-earned drink.

"Look at them," Jonny continued, indicating to the other side of the room. As she followed his gaze, Jac felt a swell of emotion at the picture she was met with.

Jasmine and Emma had commandeered the second sofa, the little girl planting herself on her auntie's lap as soon as they'd sat down and refusing to move. Jasmine, of course, had relished the moment, more than happy to sit cuddling her niece as they watched the film (Emma's choice, of course). However, the excitement of the day must have worn them both out as at some point, unbeknown to Jac and Jonny, the two of them had fallen asleep. Jasmine leant heavily on her elbow, eyes closed and a dreamy expression on her face – it looked as though the exhaustion of the shift had finally caught up with her, and although she'd clearly been fighting it she'd eventually lost the battle. Jac was secretly pleased that her sister felt comfortable enough to let her guard down like that around them already, knowing however that the girl would probably be embarrassed once she'd awoken.

The blonde's arms were still loosely cuddled around Emma, who had one tiny hand on top of Jasmine's and the other sucking her thumb. She was curled into Jasmine's chest, but Jac could just about make out her delicate features in the flickering light of the tree, looking more angelic than ever with the fairy wings still strapped to her back (she'd refused to take them off – Jac could already tell that bedtime was going to be fun). Her heart melted at the sight.

Reaching across for her phone, she gently eased herself off the sofa and moved closer, careful not to make a noise for fear of waking them. She couldn't pass up the chance to snap a few photos of such a special moment – it was such a beautiful picture, and a memory she knew they'd all look back on for years to come. She took a moment to just stand and watch them; the gentle rise and fall of their chests, the way Jasmine's hands instinctively clasped tighter around the little girl as she shifted slightly in her sleep.

Seeing the bond between Jasmine and Emma develop that day had been the most incredible thing, and Jac found herself wondering why she'd ever worried about the effect the news would have on her daughter. The two were besotted with each other already, and Jac knew they'd only grow closer the more time they spent together. Wandering back over to Jonny, she fell back into his arms.

"You know, today has been the best Christmas present I've ever had," she smiled wistfully. "Just spending the day at home, as a family, with the people I love. This feeling is what I've always dreamt of, but I never thought it would happen for me. I honestly don't think I've ever been happier." She felt Jonny's hand slide into hers, his other raising her chin slightly towards him. He kissed her gently, cupping her cheek and she sighed contentedly. Jonny smiled as they pulled away, eyes sparkling with love and emotion as he squeezed her hand.

"Merry Christmas, Jac."


End file.
